Talking about his first ever performance in this show as a stand-up comedian, Chetan Bhagat said:

My books have inspired many Bollywood films, but after doing One Mic Stand 2 I realized the vast difference between writing and performing. Writing comes easy to me, however the performing arts especially stand-up comedy was an uncharted territory for me. I had no inhibitions going into it knowing that Abish Mathew was guiding me through the process. I have seen his work and I think it’s brilliant. He made a complete amateur like me sound like a pro comedian, and for that I think he deserves an award. Bollywood movies 3 Idiots and Hello, inspired by my books have been very successful on Amazon Prime Video and I hope that my first ever stand-up act enjoys similar success on the same platform.

Chetan further adds

Through the process I also learnt that a lot of jokes will stem from me. Making jokes on yourself and people laughing at it I believe is better than them making jokes on you. Whenever I get a chance to create magic with words I take it, as a writer I’m always on the hunt for exploring and learning about different human perspectives and psyches, One Mic Stand 2 was the perfect show for that. This has been an interesting journey of books to OTT for me, one filled with lots of learning and laughter.

One Mic Stand Season 2 is going to premiere on October 22, 2021, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

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Karunesh’s usual style of delivering punches, his body language and expressions are so good that even if there is nothing funny in what he is saying, the way he says it makes you go ROFL.

Humour Sapiens got into a Tête-à-Tête with the rocking stand-up comic Karunesh Talwar. Get to know him with us.

How was your first stage experience?

10 years ago on 13 June 2011 was the first time I stepped on stage. To my surprise, people laughed at my set. I was stupefied because I was screaming, and people were laughing and wondering as to who’s this angry kid.

Over time, I gained confidence and tried the same jokes, but no one laughed. That’s when I realised, it was because of my nervous energy that people laughed back then.

But yes, first time on stage was a great experience. When I got off stage, I had so much adrenalin and so much energy. I remember, this show was in Bandra, I just got out started walking on the road for kilometres at a stretch. With an excitement of something unexpected happening!

You’ve also been a part of Weird Ass Comedy. How has the journey been?

I started with them in 2012, it’s Vir Das’s company. So, Vir, obviously, Rohan Joshi, Tanmay Bhat, Gursimran Khamba, Ashish Shakya and I were a part of it. Then they started at AIB, and I began collaborating with them.

Do you remember any of your bombing experiences?

Oh yes, I remember many. The most painful bombing experience was the one at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2018. And it is embarrassing to relive it that at this time. So basically what happened was, I was doing 28 shows in the festival, along with 4 other Asian comics. The first 15 shows went really well, we even got a five-star rating, and we all were really excited.

On the 16th day, I decided to perform some new material, which was a terrible decision because I had just written it. I get on stage, and man, you could hear the silence. I’m not sure how to describe it, but sannata sunayi de raha tha! I could see the tears of disappointment in the eyes of audience. One person even heckled me and I didn’t have an answer to that. I got off stage, after somehow managing to get a few laughs – and I get to know that there’s a reviewer in the audience. It was a bad bad day.

I woke up the next day, and things hadn’t gotten any better. As I opened the newspaper, it was a disaster. The whole Melbourne was duly informed that the man named Karunesh Talwar is no go for stand-up comedy. The review was titled – 4 out of 5 comics make the cut. Clearly, I was the fifth comedian who couldn’t please the audience.

But, let me tell you, something good came out of it!

Of course, I was having a row of bad days, but worked really hard on those new jokes and a lot of them made it to my future comedy sets, some of which I have done in India as well.

So, I worked overnight on those jokes and performed them the next day and managed to get a good response. Rest of the festival went very well because of that, and I bagged the opportunity to perform on Australian television too.

I was a real rollercoaster that one month – full of highlights and lowlights back to back.

When you got into comedy, the scene wasn’t developed so much. What challenges did you face back then?

I didn’t get into comedy to earn money. There was no expectation of doing this for a living. I just started doing it because I was very passionate about it – so I thought I am gonna do it, but eventually, I will have to get a job. That was my perspective on it.

I was never looking at it as a source of income, but today I feel very grateful that it’s my livelihood and I have not taken it for granted.

The challenges have not changed. My challenges are what they were when I started off. Things like – this line isn’t as funny, what should be the next line, people laughed at this joke but the other one didn’t get as many laughs, I should find another angle to this story, new material was looking good enough yesterday but crappy today – these don’t change. At any level, these challenges are always the same.

Have you struggled for spots in your early days?

When I started doing comedy, there were hardly 15-20 comics, so getting spots wasn’t that much of a problem. Guess I was lucky. If I had to enter stand-up now, it would have been a tough cookie. As long as you could make someone laugh, you used to get the spots. But now it’s a whole different scene, you have to sell tickets, get people, then make them laugh.

It was comparatively easier to get on stage back then because you were responsible for making people laugh, that’s it.

Experience with annoying audience member or a heckling experience?

There have been many. And there are some, which cannot be told on this platform

So, there was this one girl – she was drunk and it was her birthday. She kept yelling ‘it’s my birthday’ again and again, and had bugged around four comics who performed before me which derailed their sets. I went on stage, she started again with her ‘it’s my birthday’ anthem. I said, “usually the maturity increases with age, but guess it’s the opposite with you”. Because I said, you are becoming dumber as you getting older – the audience that was equally annoyed with her laughed and applauded at this. It was then her birthday express came to a halt.

Tell us something about your new special ‘Aalas Motaapa Ghabraahat’. We saw the trailer and loved it, especially the bit where you nudge us to confront our parents.

*laughs* Kar dena chahiye confront, definitely!

It’s important to set boundaries with the parents too, show them the real you. The love won’t vanish, you won’t become a bad child if you have a healthy argument with your parents.

This special is basically on two topics, one, on my relationship with my parents and second, on my relationship with my girlfriend.

Watching this didn’t bode well with both my parents and girlfriend.

I have taken many pot shots at my parents and then I went into a self-depreciation mode.

Watch the Amazon Prime special here!

The post TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH THE ROCKING COMIC KARUNESH TALWAR appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

Gaurav Gupta

Dentist turned stand-up comedian, this man endlessly trolls his family in a way that could blow your mind away. With his middle-class jokes that are so relatable, he tickles your funny bones. One of his stand-up specials: Market Down Hai is coming up on Amazon Prime on May 14. It’s all about funny incidents and anecdotes from family and relatives.

Zakir Khan

The Sakht Launda aka Zakir Khan is one of the best stand-up comedians we ever had. As good as he is with stand-up comedy, he is with poetry and acting. He rose to fame owing to his association with AIB, but his skills didn’t fail to sweep away the hearts of a lot of girls, though he remain ‘sakht’ as we hear.

Anubhav Singh Bassi

Born in a small town, Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, Anubhav Bassi has reached the skies. One of the few stand-up comedians with realistic tales and unmatched storytelling skills never cease to make us laugh. Lawyer by qualification, Bassi is a humorist by profession, and certainly the one that can light up anyone’s day.

Vir Das

If you are looking for content which is hilarious and intellectual, Vir Das is your go-to comic. His jokes are deep like the ocean and are deep into the realism of society. You need to sink in each and every joke of his to acknowledge his distinct comedy style. His stand-up specials Vir Das for India, Vir Das: Inside Out and Vir Das: Outside In were massive hits.

Aditi Mittal

One of the founders and co-host of AIB, Aditi is a stand-up comedian, an actor and a writer. She usually jokes about topics that have always been considered taboo. Pretty much vocal about the gender disparity women face, Aditi has subtly created ripples to stop this inequality. We can see Aditi recently in a show called LOL: Hasse to Phasee on Amazon Prime Video and it wouldn’t be wrong to call her an artist who knows how to keep all her audiences happy.

The post 5 stand-up comedians that will leave you laughing out loud appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

Gaurav Gupta, stand-up comic artist said:

“I am delighted to associate with a global platform like Amazon Prime Video and amuse stand-up enthusiasts all across the world with my comedy special. Thanks to them, a host of comedians have entered the limelight and I too look forward to reaching a larger audience and garner new fans. Everyone wants to watch a show if they know it’s on Amazon Prime Video. That said, “Market  Down Hai” is really special for me  as it is my first stand up special on Amazon prime video and also as I used my life experiences that are hilarious in nature in the stand-up. I am a Baniya and cracking jokes on the Baniya community never gets old for me. I hope the audience will love “Market Down Hai” as much as they loved my other work of stand up.”

In the trailer, Gaurav Gupta can be seen talking about his hilarious experiences as a parent, husband, son, a Delhiite, and above all, a Baniya! Watch the trailer here:

We got an opportunity to interact with this amazing dentist-comedian prior to the launch of his special ‘Market Down Hai’. Humour Sapiens got into a Tête-à-Tête with the ace comic Gaurav Gupta. Get to know him with us.

Q. How did you get into comedy?

A. I was a dentist and followed a routine. Just like most of us, the need for change and the want to break my monotonous routine led me into comedy in 2015. I took a chance and I’ve been here ever since.

Q. How was your first stage experience?

A. Just one word – Pathetic. I did so bad, I don’t even want to recall or discuss that.
I had no clue what happens in a stand-up, I just went on stage and did some ‘sansani’ and practically tanked.

Q.Experience with annoying audience member or a heckling experience?

A. Looking at my personality, no one usually heckles me. I look like a ‘biwi-bachhon wala aadmi, jo job se aa raha hoga’. So, no one messes around with me but I have people having a picnic in the midst of my gig – ‘mere show ke beech mein, khaa-pee rahe hote hain’.

I remember one time when I was doing a private show – my baniya act was on and one uncle stood up from the audience, with his stick in tow. Vo boodhe uncle khade ho gaye, and said, “ ek minute bhaisaab, ye bhadkau bhaashan band kijiye”. I tried telling him that it’s comedy, but it fell on deaf ears.

Q. What challenges did you face while starting up?

A. Spots. This was one of the main challenges I faced. When I was starting up in 2015, Delhi had only a few venues to perform. Though comics were a handful, but audience was less as well – you could hardly get 10-12 audience members, and stage time was very less too. There were just about 2 prominent rooms to perform and we had to hustle a lot for getting spots in those. Writing emails to get one spot, and many times our confirmed spots used to get cancelled when any seasoned comic came to perform.

Q. What has been your worst bombing experience?

A. You mean, ‘Sannata’ – total silence? That has happened a lot many times. One that I remember was a corporate show in Goa. I was really excited and happy to do this big show. As I got on stage, I saw all the uncles staring at me and they remained that way all through my act. I used all my energy, spoke at the top of my voice, narrated my best jokes – no one laughed and everything I said fell flat.

When that happens, it breaks your confidence, drains your energy. So, I had a 45 minute spot and I came back to my room after 20 minutes of attempting to make them laugh.

Happens to the best of us. Right?

Q. Tell us something about ‘Market Down Hai’? How is it different from ‘Not Just Baniya’?

A. “Market Down Hai” is my father’s pet peeve. This is what he says all the time. You go to him asking for money, he’s all like, “abhi ruk ja, abhi dekh le, market down hai, dhanda down hai.” And this is what he used to say before the pandemic happened and market actually crashed. But now pandemic has made the situation such that people are able to relate to this line.

How’s it different? You can say, the pizza base is same, toppings have changed and gotten better. The theme is same, naturally, because the genre of any artist doesn’t change. It started with my ‘Baniya’ acts and since then a lot of changes have happened in my life. I have tried to inculcate all that and more in this special.

You can follow Gaurav Gupta on Instagram: @gaurav_comic

The post Tête-à-Tête with the ace comic Gaurav Gupta appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

He has recently come up with two new videos, which are quite a joyride!

Indian Food & Talented People

This is Ketan’s first video, and is all about people who are as talented and down to earth as it can get! But he tells us, those are the kind who trigger depression in you. As you while away the time on Instagram waiting for magic to happen, these gifted people are using their gifts to their full potential.

Ketan also talks about the time he decided to visit France…well, the French part of India and tasting French cuisines to his delight. This adventure ended when he figured that the only spices they were aware of were salt and sugar.

He ended the video with a concrete opinion about Raisins–“Raisins shouldn’t be called dry fruits, since they aren’t completely dry”–and the people who eat it.

Ketan also shared a secret in this video about why wine complements French food.

Watch Indian Food & Talented People to know it:

Birbal & Comfort Zone

Ketan’s second, Birbal and Comfort Zone leaves you pondering about a lot of things. One being, those people in our lives who are constantly talking yet not arriving at the crux of it all. He also enlightens us on ‘How did Birbal actually die.’ And no, it is not how you think.

Ketan also talks about the comfort zone and the struggles of life.

Want to know? Watch Birbal & Comfort Zone here:

The post Ketan Kumar Giri: stand-up comic on a roll appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

Last one Laughing (LOL) is a TV show franchise with some of its parts released in Australia and Mexico. It is now making its way to India. The show is a unique format wherein ten comics are put in a room for 6 hours in a battle of wits, jokes and improvisational comedy.

The challenge? To be the last person in the room with a straight face.

Whoever does it wins the grand prize of ₹25 Lakh.

Starring: Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, Sunil Grover, Mallika Dua, Kusha Kapila, Gaurav Gera, Cyrus Broacha, Suresh Menon, Aakash Gupta, Aadar Malik, Aditi Mittal and Ankita Shrivastav

Release Date: April 30, 2021 only on Amazon Prime Video

It is a six-episode series, with the last one to crack taking home the prize.

Check out the trailer of LOL – Hasee Toh Phasee here:

The post Amazon Prime Video’s ‘LOL – Hasee Toh Phasee’ coming up on 30 Apr appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that in times like these, laughing is a privilege. But laughter, even if hollow, is one of the main coping mechanisms during periods of sickness and anxiety. So, spare no chance!

Having said that, it’s not easy to make people laugh when there’s so much happening around.

Giving people a reason to laugh and a ray of positive outlook amid this scare of a situation is what sets these comics apart. Anshu Mor and Amit Tandon have stepped up to remind you to laugh in the face of adversity.

Comedian Amit Tandon has announced a series of 30-minute sessions for people who are COVID positive and alone at home. He invited applications via email and was flooded with requests. These are going to be free of cost interactions to help people dealing with the COVID alone.

We have received over a 1000 emails, so taking time to sort it all out. Itna response expected nahin thaa

Will be conducting six sessions over the weekend and then at least one everyday. If you have mailed, please be patient

— Amit Tandon (@amitandon) April 15, 2021

A similar wholesome move was made by Anshu Mor for doctors and nurses who are fighting this war each day. They are the ones who deserve a break and yet cannot afford to take one.

I dont know when u get a break & I dont know if it will help, but if u are a doctor/nurse stressed out with this covid war, I will perform a 60 mins online comedy show for u for FREE. Write to hello@talkingmime.in or DM me with your preferred day of the week & time. pic.twitter.com/SvR6rOiG3W

— Anshu Mor (@anshuMor) April 19, 2021

People like these are the reason we believe in goodness and empathy.

The post Amit Tandon & Anshu Mor Offering Free Interactions appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

However, one event was so special that he decided to comprehensively narrate it.

It was a regular day. Two boys from Meerut, Anubhav and Sam, were leading a normal life as friends and roommates. A life filled with fun, booze and cigs.

Until one day.

A regular college day turned into a memory for life, when his roommate’s father lands up unannounced and sees & hears what he shouldn’t have.

‘Roommate’ revives storytelling magic that Bassi holds. The attempt to bring his ‘buddy’ out from the bathroom, the eagerness to see him getting beaten up and the realisation of how mistake is a concept that’s different to each.

And finally having his anxiousness calmed.

Want to know how?  Watch Anubhav Bassi’s ‘Roommate’ here:

Here’s what we loved!

• Staying updated like

• Strategising like a friend

• Fading lines between right and wrong

The post Anubhav Bassi’s New Video ‘Roommate’ – Watch Now appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

Suhel starts off by announcing his career finding criteria:

First, don’t die.
Second, don’t get arrested.

Fair Enough!

He further talks about becoming a superhero, and how a career in the army closely resonates with superheroes. But…Criterion 1 comes into play.

Next comes up Engineering, and Criterion 1 comes into the picture even before concluding it.

He finally zeros down on becoming a doctor. Here’s why:

However, quickly changes his stance. Watch the video to know why!

He then chooses a career in stand-up comedy. Easy peasy.

Just stand on the stage and narrate jokes. At least he won’t get killed, or arrested…or so he thought. But, alas, again, galat career chun liya! Wanna know why? He shares the secret in the video.

The only option that he’s now left with is to be a Housewife. Know why he decided to opt out of this career option as well.

Watch Galat Career Chun Liya by Mohd Suhel, here:

The post Review: Galat Career Chun Liya by Mohd Suhel appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

What is that you ask?

It is a pan India comedy hunt – for the comediennes. The idea is to encourage the comics to come out of the hood and tell the world – it’s the women who boss.

Ms Funny Bones is the virtual “You Go, Girl” from the Team Suno Bey, who want women from across India to participate. They are inviting both experienced and newbie comics to take part in the competition.

The show will be hosted by the Suno Bey team .

Team Suno Bey puts it:

Ms Funny Bones is our way to show we care and support women. We know a female-only comedy line-up will be awesome fun.

More about Ms Funny Bones

The event will have an all-female comic line-up and female jury.

It will be a 5-week competition, where performances will happen on the Saturday evenings on Zoom.

Oct 3 onward, every Saturday, 6 performers will showcase their funny side and say out loud, “audience, audience in the living room or hall, who is the funniest of them all.”

The winner of each week will compete in the finale – on the last Saturday of the event, that is, Oct 31.

The performances will be held in both English and Hindi.

Jury and Selection

Comediennes will be scored on the basis of points given by the Suno Bey team, the audience and a judge.
The jury includes comics with finesse.
(Suno Bey wants to keep it under the wraps for now)
(Hint: Some comics appear in the Sterling Reserve Comedy hosted by Varun Thakur)

What’s in it for the winner?

Cash prizes
10 spots with the Suno Bey team

Suno Bey team is sponsoring prizes on their own, and don’t officially have any sponsors. It is a move to provide a platform to Ms Funny Bones to tickle your funny bones.

Want to attend?

Tickets can be bought from PayTm Insider and BookMyShow.

Want to participate?

If you are keen to show your funny side to the world, register here.

Last day to register is 3 Oct, 2020.

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